Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks

Serves 6 - From River Rock Cafe Cookbook

• 6 small shanks
• Plain flour
• S&P
• 6 red onions, peeled and finely sliced
• Handful chopped rosemary leaves
• 4 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
• 175 ml balsamic vinegar
• 300 ml red wine

Pre heat oven to 200oC (or you can cook on hob).

Dust shanks with seasoned flour

In heavy bottomed saucepan with lid heat oil and brown shanks on all sides then remove. Lower heat and add onions and cook for 10-15 mins until light brown. Add rosemary and garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. Raise heat and add vinegar and wine, reduce for a couple of minutes.

Return shanks to pan, reduce heat and cover with a piece of moistened greaseproof paper and lid. Cook in oven for 2 - 2 1/2 hrs or on top of stove.

Check shanks occasionally basting with juices add more wine if necessary. Serve with juices.

I tend to cook it a slightly lower temperature for longer. If juices too runny when lamb cooked, remove shanks and reduce. If possible I cool overnight and remove the set fat. If not possible soak up with kitchen towels.

Blueberry Chicken

from Monavale Blueberries Ltd Cookbook

This has great flavour & colour (any left over chicken is awesome cold in a salad the next day). Enjoy :-)

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup blueberries
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 8 chicken portions

1. Place wine vinegar, sugar & blueberries in a bowl. Mash with a potato masher. Crush garlic; add to blueberry mixture with mustard, cumin & garam masala.
2. Remove the skin from the chicken & cut 2 or 3 slashes in the flesh. Spread with blueberry mixture. Marinate in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours.
3. Bake at 180oC for 30 mins or until juices run clear when pierced with a skewer.
   

Deli Sauce for Chicken Breasts

Recipe by Rae McVinnie

• 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• zest & juice of one lemon (can add more juice if you like a sharper taste)
  
• 2 large gherkins, finely diced
• 6 sundried tomatoes, finely sliced
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley (I like Italian flat leaved variety best)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Also delicious with lamb or steak, hot pasta or new potatoes as a warm salad with fish.
   

You can see why it's called deli sauce, but most of these ingredients are in my fridge.

Lemon & Basil Risotto

From the absolutely wonderful Cuisine website. This is very tasty as is, great for your vegetarian friends too or served with chicken.

• 1 cup basil leaves
• pinch sea salt & black pepper
  
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Crush the above 3 items in a mortar with a pestle until a emerald green oil is formed, set aside until required
   

• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 300g arborio rice
• 250ml white wine
• 750ml chicken stock, warmed
• zest & juice of 2 lemons

1. Gently cook the garlic, onion with some black pepper in the olive oil until onion is soft
2. Add the rice & saute a couple of minutes over a medium heat until the rice 'sings'
3. Add 1/3 of the wine & stir until absorbed, add next 1/3, repeat until all absorbed.
   
4. Add hot stock a ladle full at a time & stir well. Add next ladle when absorbed, keep adding until rice creamy. If insufficient stock add boiling water.
5. When rice creamy, add lemon juice & zest.
6. Add 1/2 basil oil & season the risotto with salt
   
7. Serve: drizzle over remaining basil oil, fresh basil leaves & grated parmesean.

Leftovers can be fried as little patties but I've never had any left overs to try this out :-)

Aunty Winnie's Apricot Slice

• Soak 1 cup dried apricots in boiling water until soft; drain well.
• Cream 8 oz butter and 1 cup sugar
• Beat in 2 eggs
• Sift & add 3 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder & a pinch of salt
• Add drained apricots. Mix well
• Put in a flat tin & bake 325oF/160oC for 30 minutes.
  

ICING: Boil 3 Tbsp milk & 3 Tbsp butter & 1-2 Tbsp sugar for ~2 minutes. Cool slightly and add lots of vanilla essence, touch of lemon juice & enough icing sugar to make a spreadable consistency. Ice slice whilst fairly warm, cut into squares when nearly cold.

ENJOY!!

Donna's Chocolate brownie

• Microwave 200g butter & 1 cup of cocoa - until the butter has melted.
• Add 1 1/2 cup sugar, 4 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 3/4 cup flour, 1 heaped tsp baking powder.
• Mix well & add 250g bag of Cadbury chocolate balls, mix again.
• Pour into a lined greased roll tin.
• Bake 150oC for 30-40 minutes.
• Slice into small squares when cool, dust with icing sugar before serving if desired (& go on serve it with whipped cream - what's a few other calories between friends).